Adrian Sinnott and I talked this week at the High School of Art and Design in NYC. A lot of talented students! And what a great school. My thanks to Christine Tudor who coordinated Career Day at this specialized high school for the arts.
I talked about how it’s hard but not impossible to draw for a living. I pointed out that the MoCCA Fest is next month and it’s a great opportunity to meet a lot of professionals. Bring a “leave behind:” a flyer, a business card, some stickers with your name on them. Something physical that you impart so the person that you just talked to will have your information and your art in their hands. Actually, I passed out to them my own leave behind. A half-sheet of paper with my name, social media accounts, and it had a cartoon on it, with a client list.
I told them that I’m a freelancer. That means I have multiple income streams. These include teaching college classes, a cartoonist residency, giving a talk at the National Educational Administration, sales on Zazzle and Cartoonstock, helping publishers with rights clearances, selling originals, cartoon classes at libraries/museums, occasional book residuals, etc. One source is not enough. Many is the way I do it.
Your future professional life where you shut the door and are alone in a room, creating stuff out of nothing.
It's tough sometimes, but just because you are alone in your studio should not mean you are lonely. I like being alone, but one reason to be in the National Cartoonists Society or the Society of Illustrators is to keep in touch with people who have the same challenges as you do. And there is nothing new in the world. If you have a problem with a contract or a client or even something personal, reach out. Other artists, cartoonists and animators have had a similar experience and can offer help. And they will, too. Because they are some of the nicest professionals out there.
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